RETRACTED ARTICLE: Happiness and satisfaction with life of Lithuanian residents after transition

Abstract

The relevance of research is that psychological research carried out after re-establishment of Lithuanian independence revealed that the consequences of the Soviet totalitarian regime are still being felt in this country to this day. The aim of the paper is to analyse happiness of Lithuanian residents. Influence of the traumas Lithuanians suffered for five decades is even passed on to the second generation. The happiness index of the Lithuanian residents has not changed for almost twenty years, though the economy of the country has considerably improved. Moroever, high suicide rates in Lithuania are also slow to change. This study aimed to analyze life satisfaction variations in a representative sample of Lithuanians (n = 1002). The results suggest that Lithuanians with high level of satisfaction with life get into a higher number and intensity of positive states; they pointed out much greater satisfaction with cultural life, satisfaction with family life, professional and occupational life, satisfaction with spiritual life, psychological state and material condition; they indicated that there are people they can talk to any time, they take pleasure in spending time with the closest ones, they think that their earnings guarantee their security. Persons of high level of satisfaction with life statistically significantly more perceive life as pleasant, valuable, and meaningful.